It's post Spring-Break for most college students and its winding down towards finals.  It's also the time of the semester when many students are experiencing burn out from working so hard in the beginning of the semester - or the time when students are realizing "I really have to put some effort into my work now."  Whichever category you fit into with your personal situation, you're sure to find the following list helpful.

  1. Put ALL of your time obligations on your calendar.  Do it - now.
  2. Check your finals schedule now.  I know it's not for another month, but it's much better to know now whether you have two finals on one day than it is to figure this out the night before.  Also, it is rare, but there may be a scheduling conflict and you will need to talk to your professors to resolve this.  It is much better if you talk to the professors now rather than later.  Put your finals schedule into your calendar.
  3. Look again at your syllabus.  Are there any final papers that are required?  When are they due?  Do you choose the topic or does your professor?  Now is the time to figure out (if you haven't already) your strategy for conquering final papers.  First, put the due dates of the papers on your calendar.
  4. Add any tests or quizzes between now and finals to your calendar.
  5. Once you have all of these items placed on your calendar, take a look at your schedule for next week.  What time slots have been taken?  First, schedule eight hours for sleep every night.  That's right, not six, not ten, eight hours.  This should be your goal (though as a student it can get hard especially at this time of the semester.)
  6. Next, look at the first day of the week - Sunday.  What are your obligations Sunday?  When will you study?  When will you have some relaxation time?  When will you have social time?  When will you exercise? When will you be with family?  Do you work?  Repeat this for each day of the week until you have a rough schedule.  You may wish to color-code your calendar.  Aim for the calendar to be as balanced as possible.
  7. Now, set aside some study time every week dedicated solely to reviewing notes for cumulative finals for each class.
  8. Remember those papers?  How far are you on each one?  What steps need to be completed?  Generally, you'll need to pick a topic if it isn't assigned to you, research, outline, and aim to write three drafts before turning your paper in.  Give yourself a deadline for each of these steps for each paper you must write.
  9. I've mentioned relaxation time and sleep before, but it is so important to re-iterate:  You must give your brain downtime in order to avoid serious burnout, stress, and illness.
  10. If you are struggling in any of your classes, don't wait until finals week to find a tutor or an editor for your writing.  Line this up now as tutors tend to fill up around finals time and editors/writing centers can be swamped.  To find out more about my academic services and academic coaching, please view the research page of this website. If you are interested in my services, contact me with the specifics of your needs to receive a fair quote for my services.
A little tip from a professor of a psychology class I took in my junior college days:  If you drink coffee when studying, drink coffee when taking the exam.  By being in the same brain state you'll increase your ability to recall the information.

Good luck to a strong finish!